Can opener device



vMarch l, 1932. F, w. OCHES.

' CAN OPENER DEVICE Filed June 24, 1951 @ed NVS web?, m(

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. l, 1932 r STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE WQ OCHES, Ol' ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB T0 WALKER MANUFACTURING l l' RACINE, WISCONgIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN CAN 023m DEVICE Application led June 84, 1981. Serial lo. 546,614.

'Thisinvention relates to can openers of i Athe typeldiscl'osed in co-'pendingy application, :Serial No. 514,377,1ed February 9, 1931,

in the name of Willis M. Thompson. Efln this can opener a stationary standard is provided with a fixed ljournal for a. serrated feed wheel which' is adapted to engage the underside ofthe bead present around the rim of the can to be opened and thereby to support ithe can'during the opening operation. A cuttin knife is' slidably mounted on the standar and afcam moves the knife toward the Wheel to puncture the to of the can. A :shoulder on the knife bla e engages the top of the can to hold the same against the feed wheel.

The de th of the rim bead on different cans varies a ew hundredths of an inch and the teeth of the feed wheel wear after extended use, hence there is no one setting of the knife, relative to the feed wheel journal, which will provide the proper pressure between the feed wheel and the knife shoulder for all cans, and if the pressure is too great there will be a '25 binding between the can and the engaging parte of the device which will render the operation of the device difficult or impossible. If the pressure is too light the wheel will not gri the can to feed it positively. he present invention particularly contemplates and has for its object facilitating the operation of the above mentioned device by the provision of a yielding cam which will I insure the pro r pressure between the can and the feed w eel irrespective of variations in the can bead or in the diameter of the feed wheel. i.

These objects and others are attained in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the can' opener. Figure 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the cam. The can opener includes an upright standard 1 carried by a horizontal arm 2 which is preferably detachably mounted on a suitable wall bracket 3. The lower end of the standard is provided with a flange 4 which serves as a can guide. A serrated feed wheel 5 is journaled -on standard guide Af and has an operating crank 6.

Slidably mounted on the standard above wheel 5 is a carriage 7 having side flanges 8` folded around the edges ofthe standard, and having outwardly extending top and bottom flanges 9. A knife forms a shouldered extenslon of, or is rigidly secured to, the lower edge of the carriage and is spaced outwardly from the standard a suflicient distance to penetrate the top of a can 11 having its side Wall against guide 4 and having its rim head supported on feed wheel 5.

The knife carriage is .operated by means of a cam 12 which rotates on a stud 18 pro- )ecting from the Standard 1 and extending through a slot in carriage 7. Stud 13 is inserted'into an opening 14 in cam 12, the diameter of the openin being greater than the diameter of the stu to provide for relative vertical movement 0f the cam and stud.

Extending diametrically through cam 12 is a ((:'lndrical opening threaded at its upper en and receiving a plunger 15, a spring 16, and a correspondingly threaded plug 18. Spring 16 thrusts the high part of the cam away from stud 13 and is s'ti enough to overcome the resistance of the can to the penetration of the knife and to provide suficient pressure on the can to insure feeding movement against the knife when the wheel 5 is rotated.

A stop element 19 on arm 2 engages the camA manipulating bar 18 when the knife is in its lowest position and serves to guide the user and to steady cutting operation.

In case the carriage lower flange 9 is en- 1 immediately above v the carriage during the By constructing the device so that normal o eration thereof will cause some movement o? the cam transversely of its stud, the griping pressure between the feed wheel 5 and ange 9 will be substantially uniform 1rrespective of differences in the depth of the can beads, wear of the feed wheel or other variations in the device.

Obviously, other yielding means might be substituted for the diametrical spring illust-rated and various other elements of the can opener illustrated might be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all such modifications as come within the scope of the ap pended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a can opener, a standard, a knife slid- Vable along the same, a cam on said standard adapted to move said knife during the rotation thereof, a stop element arranged to limit the rotation of said cam at a certain position thereof, and a yielding pivotal connection between said standard and said cam and spaced from said stop element whereby said cam may be rotated to said limiting position when further movement of said knife along said standard is resisted, said yielding connection continuing to`function when said cam has reached said limiting position.

2. In a can opener, a standard, a carriage slidably mounted thereon and having a can rim engaging element, a knife on said carriage, a cam on said standard adapted during the rotation thereof to move said carria e and said knife to a position in which sai element will engage a can in position to be opened and said knife will penetrate the top of said can, and a yielding pivotal connection between said standard and cam whereby variations in the can rim may be accommodated.

3. In a can opener, a standard, a knife slidable thereon, a stud projecting from said standard, a cam engaging said knife and having an opening receiving said stud, said o ning being larger than said stud, and yieldieng means in said opening and compressed between said stud and said cam whereby the pivotal center of said cam may be changed under abnormal pressure on said cam to permit said cam to be rotated to a desired position.

4. In a can opener, a standard, a feed wheel pivoted thereon to supporta can, a member slidably mounted on said standard and having a shoulder to engage the can to thrust it against said wheel, a blade on said member adapted to cut the top of thecan, a cam operatively engaging said member, a stud on said standard, said cam having an opening larger than said stud and loosely receiving the same, and a spring extending substantially diametrically through said cam and compressed between said stud and cam,

said spring being adapted to maintain said stud in engagement with the side of said opening during the initial movement of said cam and knife, and to yield when the shoulder on said knife is engaged bythe can wherethe consequent movement of the ,pivotal center of said cam will permit further rotation of said cam.

5. In a can opener, carriage slidable thereon, cam pivoted on said standard for moving said carriage, the m'ountin of said cam in cluding a pivot stud on said standard passing through a larger hole in said cam, there being a recess in said cam vintersecting said hole, a bear-in I'n said recess for engaging said stud, a pIug threaded into said recess, and a spring compressed between said bean ing and plug.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature this A13th da f of June, 1931.

RED W. OCHES.

`a standard, a knife Aa selfadjusting u ies 

